Dr. Nicole Baumgarth Presents Second Annual Thomas Braciale Lecture

Dr. Baumgarth, left, with CIC faculty and members of Dr. Braciale’s family.

On October 21st, the Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research (CIC) held its 2nd Annual Thomas Braciale Lecture. In memory of Thomas Braciale, MD, PhD, the CIC invited Nicole Baumgarth, DVM, PhD, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Hosted by Dr. Braciale’s former trainee and current CIC member Jie Sun, PhD, Dr. Baumgarth spoke fondly of Dr. Braciale before sharing her research talk, titled “Tolling and Chatting of B Cells – Innate Regulation and Functions of B Cells in Influenza Infection.” She spoke about how the body needs to balance the immune system’s response to flu infection. Too weak a response will not cure the illness, but too strong a response can damage the lungs. Specifically, she described how B Cells interact with other elements of the immune system and how they behave differently while actively fighting an infection and during the long-term healing process.

A reception in the MR5-MR6 courtyard, watched over by a bust of Dr. Braciale, followed Dr. Baumgarth’s talk. Members of Dr. Braciale’s family joined the CIC community for the reception and subsequent dinner.

Dr. Braciale was the founding director of the CIC in 1991 and was the recipient of numerous awards, including The Eijkman Medal for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, the title of UVA Eminent Scholar, and the NIH Merit Award.